1. Field of the Inventions
The present inventions relate to structural members for buildings and, more particularly, to shearwalls and column members for multi-story residential or commercial buildings.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of shearwalls to resist lateral loads (e.g., seismic loads, wind loads, etc.) that may be imparted on a building or other structure are well known. In addition, the use of structural columns or similar members to accommodate vertical loads and stresses are also well known. In order to simplify the design and construction of structures (e.g., multi-story residential or commercial buildings) and to reduce costs, it is desirable to provide a shearwall that is configured to adequately resist both vertical and lateral loads. As a result, the quantity of stand-alone vertical columns can be advantageously reduced.